Covers the ideas and social turmoil that marked this transition as well as the machines, manufacturing processes and energy sources that spurred it on.

Introduces the individuals who led the Industrial Revolution and how their innovations impacted the lives of everyone.

The Great Courses partners with the Smithsonian to examine the extraordinary events and uncover the far-reaching impact of this incredible era. In 36 fascinating episodes, Professor Allitt introduces you to the inventors, businessmen, and workers responsible for transforming our lives and fueling one of the greatest periods of innovation in human history.

After extensive research in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century tax and land records, ledgers, journals, and newspapers, architectural historian Henry K. Sharp convincingly demonstrates how the five Ellicott brothers created America's first factory town, not in New England, but in Maryland's Patapsco River Valley, and modeled it according to the Quaker concept of community. As the first merchant mills prospered in grain, other entrepreneurial...

"Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker--a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry's brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father's money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable...

One key threat from industry is the negative effect on the environment. Examine how businesses and governments have responded to threats such as air and water pollution, oil spills, nuclear fallout, overpopulation, resource exhaustion, and climate change. Find out what solutions government regulation and the free market have to offer.

Since World War II, Japan, China, and other Asian nations have emerged as industrial powerhouses. Follow Japan as it gradually built a reputation for making dependable, low-priced goods. Then, shift your attention to China and see how it has achieved rapid economic growth in recent decades. Conclude with an examination of modern-day India.

Conclude the series with some final thoughts about the impact of the Industrial Revolution. Professor Allitt asks whether the revolution is over and if we will continue to benefit from new technological and societal advances. Take stock of everything you've learned and explore what the future may hold.

See how British companies privately financed and built a national railroad system, and consider what it meant for the nation's future. In addition to enabling faster communications, economic stimulus, and a boost to employment, the railroads affected the world of architecture, inspired the building of towns, and created a managerial class in the workforce.